Six weeks, more than 70 volunteers, and thousands of handouts stuck to telephone posts and fences – but Sydney, the missing dog, is still on the run.
Her trackers, led by volunteer Robin McCaffry, have spent countless waking hours trying to find her. But the small rescue dog that arrived in St. Albert from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is always seen but never found.
“We basically try to leave (no) stone unturned and she is just as evasive as can be,” said McCaffry.
Sydney is between three and five years old. She is a black, mixed breed – part Labrador and Whippet (a dog similar to a small greyhound) – with some white fur on her chest and a grey muzzle.
McCaffry said she is about knee-high in height and expected to weigh about 25 pounds now due to a lack of nutrition.
“The best thing is to call right away when you see her. I can be anywhere in five minutes,” she said, adding that people can follow Sydney but never chase her as she will run away.
“The second best thing is to corner her in the yard and if they walk and see her they need a leash and some food. Crouch down, get low to be as small as her, don’t make eye contact and put your back to her.”
Sydney was first rescued from the streets of Mexico on a Sunday night, October 21, 2012. The frightened dog, unable to stand or walk, hid under a car until she was coaxed out by a volunteer and taken to a local rescue organization.
SPCA Puerto Vallarta president Janice Chatterton said Sydney was probably hit by a car that day but already suffered from an old back injury that caused her to develop arthritis.
Pain medications and care at the sanctuary eventually brought about her physical and emotional recovery. So Chatterton decided to offer her up for adoption.
On April 30, 2013, Sydney flew into Edmonton airport. She arrived late at night and was taken in by her host mother. When her owner returned from buying her a sweater and supplies the next day, Sydney bolted out the door.
She had spent only 16 hours at her new home before she ran away.
“She spent her whole life on the street and suffered from a lot of abuse so that is why she is so scared of people. So she’s been very difficult to catch,” said McCaffry.
“She is not aggressive at all, she is so, so timid. What she is looking for now is food and companionship from other dogs.”
Adopting pets abroad
Shawna Randolph, spokesperson at the Edmonton Humane Society, said a number of people have taken up adopting animals from abroad. She cautions them to be careful about the process.
“It’s so easy to just get your heart touched by an animal that is in need but it’s so important to know the history of the animal as much as possible,” she said.
“Its medical history, has it been tested for certain diseases, is it healthy, what about its behaviour, is it an animal that has a history of aggression or has it been appropriately tested by a behaviour specialist?”
Randolph said not every organization abides by these steps or provides proper medical care ahead of the transfer.
She stressed that potential pet owners must research as much as possible before adopting a pet. They should see that the animal was cleared by Canada Customs, received all the proper medical treatments and arrived through humane transport practices.
Chatterton said she brought about 140 rescue dogs to Alberta in the past year. All of them were immunized, sterilized and cleared by Customs.
A sister organization in Alberta, PVCA, takes care of finding foster and permanent homes for the dogs, while applications for the adoptions are processed in Puerto Vallarta.
Adopting a rescue dog from the sanctuary costs $200, with costs for medical care, legal paperwork and travel covered by the SPCA Puerto Vallarta.
“It’s expensive for us, it’s a lot of money because the dogs are not healthy. At least 90 per cent are not healthy, some are horrendously not healthy with broken bones and things like that,” said Chatterton.
“Many of them are very scared, they’ve been mistreated or abused or afraid. So we try to rehabilitate them here.”
Once Sydney is discovered and brought home, McCaffry said it will take months to get her used to people again. But every animal deserves a loving home, she said, and Sydney is a special dog.
Sydney was last spotted in the Forest Lawn and Sturgeon area of St. Albert, but was also seen running down St. Albert Trail to Safeway and St. Albert Centre, and later at Superstore.
To participate in the search or call McCaffry about Sydney’s whereabouts you can contact her at 780-717-9803 or visit the SPCA Puerto Vallarta Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/spcapv.
